Topic: Preparing for hyperinflation - what to do?

[9Shooter]

I'm starting this thread partly due to this pdf that I received recently, and partly because of some thread drift in a different topic.  I have questions and not a lot of answers.  My situation is probably similar to many, and it is overwhelming and discouraging to think about.

I do not have much extra cash to spend on preparing.  I have some debt but it's not a lot compared to what I've heard is average.  My primary skill is in tech, and I'm not sure that will be beneficial for barter or extra work if it comes to that.

So what do you do?  Spend what extra you have to pay down debt?  Spend it on supplies that may be more expensive down the road?  Spend it on food?  If all of the above, in what order?

For what timeframe?  If this goes down, we are looking at years, not months, right?  Coming up with a viable plan for a family is expensive and I don't want to add to debt when the interest rates will continue to climb.

What about learning new skills?  With a full time job and a family at home, how much do you devote to learning... especially when your expertise may be perfect for teh current job but perhaps not be uber-useful in the future.

To sum up, I am at a bit of a loss where it comes to the the possability of an economy where everything stays status quo except for the buying power of the dollar.  Same job, same income, same expenses, but everything costs more.  How do you deal with that when you are already on a budget?

[fj40mojo]

I'm at a loss too. I guess the most valuable skills to learn would be those that allow you to be more self sufficient. Learn to garden, can and otherwise preserve your produce, hunt or raise your own protein source. If you have the space and know what you are doing you can raise much more than you can eat and with some additional knowledge preserve the surplus, so you are reducing your cost for food and producing trade goods at the same time.

[ManOnFire]

Silver. Every spare cent I have goes to buying coin

[avking]

Gold and silver are the two items least affected by inflation. But, it does not sound like they are an option for you at this time. They are also a VERY risky long term investment with the price so high right now.

There is zero chance of predicting when/if hyperinflation would hit. But when/if it does, it goes crazy fast (matter of weeks). A nice stash of bulk food items would be on my list as would a cow and chickens if you can have them. Paying debt would be the last on the list for me.

[MarkinIdaho]

There is zero chance of predicting when/if hyperinflation would hit. But when/if it does, it goes crazy fast (matter of weeks). A nice stash of bulk food items would be on my list as would a cow and chickens if you can have them. Paying debt would be the last on the list for me.

I agree - when it hits the fan, the credit cards will be the last thing I worry about (not that I have much).  Hell, in my opinion, if cash is short for you right now and you have 500 on a card available, go and buy some food stores, tp and a bit of ammo!

[9Shooter]

I agree - when it hits the fan, the credit cards will be the last thing I worry about (not that I have much).  Hell, in my opinion, if cash is short for you right now and you have 500 on a card available, go and buy some food stores, tp and a bit of ammo!

It's tempting.  Been trying to get rid of the debt for so long I'd have to get past the mental block of not putting anything on plastic.

I know it's impossible to know ahead of time, but realistically how much do you plan for?  Food stores for 4 people for 6 months is like $2000+.  When you say it goes in a matter of weeks are you saying that (theoretically) it would hit fast and last roughly that long before it then gets corrected?

[Jeff]

IMO it's unlikely we'll see some SHTF that takes us to instant anarchy.  Debt makes you someones slave.  Pay your debt off ASAP.

[XDMHMMWV]

IMO it's unlikely we'll see some SHTF that takes us to instant anarchy.  Debt makes you someones slave.  Pay your debt off ASAP.

Agreed, get yourself out of debt.
When you go to the grocery store, pick up an extra couple cans of food if they are on sale, and put them in a store room for SHTF. It won't cost much, and will add up over time.
Also as FJ said, learn new skills that will make you more self sufficient. Learn to garden, do needlepoint, fix your vehicle, or make Bio-Diesel if you have an oil burner That way they are an immediately useful skill that will be practiced.
Figure out if there are expenditures you can cut out in your life, so you can use the money to build up your stores, or get out of debt.
Making bread at home is a good way to slash expenses, and will be an education.
The way people are now, basic skills will be valuable, as most people don't know $@%&.

[2big2fail]

     We need to talk.  There is much to discuss.  More than is reasonable to try and fit on this page.  I'll try a quick overview. 
First of all, the other reply's are all correct.  We never feel completely prepared because there is no definition of what it is we're going to be facing.  Too many variables.  what I've learned is, the most prepared you could be is to be prepared for the unknown.  A multidude of possible outcomes in a ever changing geo-political environment.  Your GREATEST ASSET- is to prepare yourself MENTALLY!

     Store enoug food for a year or so, have a good water filtering system rather than 500 gallons to lug around, secure ammunition.  Enough for a lifetime. And don't forget oils, solvents, cleaners, and replacement parts.  Keep weapons that are of nato military standard(223..7.62x51- .9mm, .40, and .45).  Make contact with others of the same mindset and brainstorm scenarios, then, rehearse them. You don't need all the supplies in the world as long as others in your group and yourself have assets to reciprocate. Don't follow any preparation planners if they have built their strategies on any one scenario.  Flexibility is key.

     One man with a pack could fare as well as a community living Off The Grid. Wean yourself as quickly as what is financially practical. You can only do as much as what's reasonable in your income bracket.  When at the convenience store counter, ask for matches and save them up.  Try to move to property where you can grow a garden and learn to can.  When at the range, shoot at moving targets, and multiple targets in rapid succession.  Definatly get your ass a hold of handloading supplies and learn the technique, you can double your moneys worth on ammo-(after the first 2,000 rounds or so, ask any reloader).  Do you know how to slaughter and butcher?  if not, you can come over and process one of my pigs.  It's a necessary skill.

     Allot of peoples first instinct if there were to be a SHTF scenario is to grab some shit and run to the hills- BAD IDEA!  After running several trials, this will prove to be much more difficult to pull off than imaginable.  (Time of year, fleeing masses, traffic jams, panic behavior, exhausted supplies leads to aggressive behavior, and so-on).  Laying low and avoiding any kind of conflict is in everyones better interest.  For at least the first 30 days or as soon as things settle down.  Unless of course your militia.  You think your pretty savy with your guns? Allot of people do.  What if you were starving, mantaining a family, desperate, and with no other options were proweling around armed to the teeth prepared to kill for a warm place to sleep?  Would you be afraid of YOU outside your home?   Just something to think about. 

    Living in Idaho is allready a leg up to facing disaster wether it's financial, climatic, terror strike, invasion, or catastrophic.  Let me reassure you, it's why I'm here.  The agriculture, mentality, pro 2A politics, and self reliant aptitude gives this state the highest rating among all probable survivalist states in the nation.  (as a result of my own independant research). 

     Really, all of this is only the beginning.  Being prepared is as much a mental challenge as any supply challenge.  Although, there's absolutely no harm in stocking up on as much commodities as possible. 

      I hope this has been helpful, I strongly believe there is going to be great turmoil by either progressive financial decline or a world war sparked by global unrest with a massive backlash here at home.  I prey every day those scenarios arn't truely possible, but we all know they are. I'll help in any way I can and am currently pursuing organized or organizing groups.  My contribution is time, training, and sharing years of preparation skills and research.  Feel free to drop a line..... 2big2fail.

   

[romo23]

Go for the debt and as others have stated pick up some extra long term food items when your shopping and they are on a good sale. much more likely that your debt gets you in a bind before shtf to a point where you need huge stocks of food and ammo.

[eddymunster]

     We need to talk.  There is much to discuss.  More than is reasonable to try and fit on this page.  I'll try a quick overview. 
First of all, the other reply's are all correct.  We never feel completely prepared because there is no definition of what it is we're going to be facing.  Too many variables.  what I've learned is, the most prepared you could be is to be prepared for the unknown.  A multidude of possible outcomes in a ever changing geo-political environment.  Your GREATEST ASSET- is to prepare yourself MENTALLY!

     Store enoug food for a year or so, have a good water filtering system rather than 500 gallons to lug around, secure ammunition.  Enough for a lifetime. And don't forget oils, solvents, cleaners, and replacement parts.  Keep weapons that are of nato military standard(223..7.62x51- .9mm, .40, and .45).  Make contact with others of the same mindset and brainstorm scenarios, then, rehearse them. You don't need all the supplies in the world as long as others in your group and yourself have assets to reciprocate. Don't follow any preparation planners if they have built their strategies on any one scenario.  Flexibility is key.

     One man with a pack could fare as well as a community living Off The Grid. Wean yourself as quickly as what is financially practical. You can only do as much as what's reasonable in your income bracket.  When at the convenience store counter, ask for matches and save them up.  Try to move to property where you can grow a garden and learn to can.  When at the range, shoot at moving targets, and multiple targets in rapid succession.  Definatly get your ass a hold of handloading supplies and learn the technique, you can double your moneys worth on ammo-(after the first 2,000 rounds or so, ask any reloader).  Do you know how to slaughter and butcher?  if not, you can come over and process one of my pigs.  It's a necessary skill.

     Allot of peoples first instinct if there were to be a SHTF scenario is to grab some shit and run to the hills- BAD IDEA!  After running several trials, this will prove to be much more difficult to pull off than imaginable.  (Time of year, fleeing masses, traffic jams, panic behavior, exhausted supplies leads to aggressive behavior, and so-on).  Laying low and avoiding any kind of conflict is in everyones better interest.  For at least the first 30 days or as soon as things settle down.  Unless of course your militia.  You think your pretty savy with your guns? Allot of people do.  What if you were starving, mantaining a family, desperate, and with no other options were proweling around armed to the teeth prepared to kill for a warm place to sleep?  Would you be afraid of YOU outside your home?   Just something to think about. 

    Living in Idaho is allready a leg up to facing disaster wether it's financial, climatic, terror strike, invasion, or catastrophic.  Let me reassure you, it's why I'm here.  The agriculture, mentality, pro 2A politics, and self reliant aptitude gives this state the highest rating among all probable survivalist states in the nation.  (as a result of my own independant research). 

     Really, all of this is only the beginning.  Being prepared is as much a mental challenge as any supply challenge.  Although, there's absolutely no harm in stocking up on as much commodities as possible. 

      I hope this has been helpful, I strongly believe there is going to be great turmoil by either progressive financial decline or a world war sparked by global unrest with a massive backlash here at home.  I prey every day those scenarios arn't truely possible, but we all know they are. I'll help in any way I can and am currently pursuing organized or organizing groups.  My contribution is time, training, and sharing years of preparation skills and research.  Feel free to drop a line..... 2big2fail.

   

Mr. Rawles is that you?

Sound advice and yes IT is on the way. Stay safe.

[MarkinIdaho]

     We need to talk.  There is much to discuss. 

Good stuff!  Maybe those of us who are interested could get together and talk this up.  Always good to know like minded people.

[XDMHMMWV]

Hey 2big2fail,
 You might like to come by for pizza night on Thursdays at 6:30 at Idaho Pizza  Fairview and Cole.
Lot of story swapping, and preparedness tactics discussed.

[2big2fail]

Hey 2big2fail,
 You might like to come by for pizza night on Thursdays at 6:30 at Idaho Pizza  Fairview and Cole.
Lot of story swapping, and preparedness tactics discussed.

     Thanks for the invite, I'll try to make it.  Open carry, or no?  I sometimes OC around toun to keep awareness up.

[scoob]

I'm at a loss too. I guess the most valuable skills to learn would be those that allow you to be more self sufficient. Learn to garden, can and otherwise preserve your produce, hunt or raise your own protein source. If you have the space and know what you are doing you can raise much more than you can eat and with some additional knowledge preserve the surplus, so you are reducing your cost for food and producing trade goods at the same time.

This is our main focus.  Become a producer, not just a consumer.  Even if it's just a portion of what you need, whether it's food, energy, security, etc., the little steps you take to become more self-sufficient get you that much closer to being prepared to survive the smallest disaster on up to the Hollywood fantasy.

Silver. Every spare cent I have goes to buying coin

I've upped my metals purchases as well.  I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket, but I've got some catching up to do, so I'm shifting more of my investment strategy (or lack thereof) that direction.

IMO it's unlikely we'll see some SHTF that takes us to instant anarchy.  Debt makes you someones slave.  Pay your debt off ASAP.

Re-quote for more emphasis: 

Debt makes you someones slave.

+1000

I    can   not   tell   you   how it feels, having lived the life of typical American that bought into the "I can have it now and pay for it later!" mentality, and am now free from the chains of all loan payments except for the home mortgage.  If my wife or I lost our job tomorrow, we could still buy the food that we can't grow, and still have house and heat without having to sell anything.  Hell, if we both lost our jobs, and assuming unemployment still exists, we could still get by.  Beyond that, we got bigger problems than making the mortgage payment.

Your GREATEST ASSET- is to prepare yourself MENTALLY!

Big time.  But please include, as part of your mental preps, the balance of a healthy level of paranoia vs. some rational thought that allows you to avoid making decisions based on fear...  or the fantasy 'survival situation' that some of those in the survivalist community are selling like hotcakes. 

Mr. Rawles is that you? Grin

Haha! That's great!     Just remember that 'Patriots' is fan-fiction and not necessarily the manual to live by.  Good stuff, but if you read some of Rawles' blog and forum writings, he actually has a more grounded attitude towards modern survival and what is probably coming... and what do to in preparation for it.

...pizza...

One of these days I need to quit being such a home-body and get my ass over there.

[NGO]

Here is a good article to read...it is long and made my head hurt, but it is worth the read.


edit, failed to add during first post...http://fofoa.blogspot.com/2011/04/deflation-or-hyperinflation.html


What to do???

Great question, and unless you have several hundred thousand extra available to spend you won't be able to truly be ready for an economic collapse.  So it is a compromise...

First start shopping for food you eat and eat what you store....this means no more eating out, well maybe once a month.

Shopping at the Mormon cannery, for things like dehydrated refried beans and milk...this will save you lots of money! Add two teaspoons of sugar to a gallon of milk...it taste much better that way.

Start buying Pinto Beans, Sugar, Salt, Rice...stock up several hundred pounds of each...Honey several gallons of it also....shop around for the best price...go to Costco with  a friend to save money...shop at Cash & Carry and start cutting your own steaks, and meat....

Grow a garden this year...start small, just start!!!

Paying off debt is great...but you have to reduce your daily cost of living to make any headway...If you aren't paying off your credit card  each month...you will never get ahead. So you expense for food, movies, telephone have to be cut....no movies, no cable, basic phone service, no new games, books, or anything else...go to the library downtown...you can get movies for free or even have them sent in from other libraries , if they don't carry it.

Yeah, you will have to slow down the gun buying, ammo shooting buying tacticool stuff for a while....

Buy your clothing at yardsales...I haven't been to a mall in years, well Sears, during the Friends and family night...but nothing else.

Check at Thrift stores and Pawn shops...for everything....buy durable clothing...not what ever is the new fashion...It will save you money.

Now you start paying off those bills...


Once you have that under control   you might have some extra money for  serious prepping and buying some PM's.


Gold is what will carry your excess wealth into the new economy. The article I linked too talks about that.  

You need enough food to get you thru the coming breakdown and crisis...
You need enough weapons and ammo to protect your self....(pick one rifle and one pistol same for you family) standardize calibers also. Compromise here....

Pay off debt...unsecured and auto's...home mortgage? read the article...

Your coming late to the PM buying...more risk to buy in now....But I am riding the silver wave upwards...convert it into gold BEFORE the crash occurs....(this is the tricky and risky part)

Convert the gold into whatever is the new currency they put together ...

Spend the new money on things before prices go back up...

[NGO]

I forgot to incorporate...get self sufficient....Chickens, sheep or goats...gardening...even making fiber from wool and leather making skills...growing herbs and knowing how to use them for spice and medical purposes.

Doing this will make surviving the crisis  easier and maybe even have some skills to sell things to others.

[andykazmaier]

Here is a good article to read...it is long and made my head hurt, but it is worth the read.

Yo NGO, are you referring to the PDF that 9Shooter linked in the OP, or to something else?  I didn't see a link to any article in your reply.

And thank you everyone for breathing new life into this thread.  I may not have anything to contribute, but I am eager for the information.

Andy

[9Shooter]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.

Seems to me the essence of it boils down to

• Pay off high interest/variable interest debt.
• Learn skills that prepare or aid in supplementing food supply or can be used in trade of services/goods
• Stock up on food for as long a period as possible, focusing on staples like rice, beans, sugar/honey, salt
• Buy precious metals to offset the pain of a weak dollar

I have calculated out how many pounds of rice and beans a family of 4 would need for 6 months, which would stretch out quite a bit further if it was supplementing other foods purchased, grown, or raised.  I'm working on a purchasing plan to offset the cost of buying it all at once.

We recently acquired chicks, which are currently staying warm in a brooding box.  I'm converting a nice, but unused, dog house into a chicken coop.

I'll be planting a larger garden this year, trying to get my thumb a little greener.  If it came to it, I could convert the entire backyard into a garden.

I'm learning to hunt.  Currently a total noob but will be going out this fall for the first time looking for deer at least.

I still don't have enough to invest in any meaningful amount of PM's, but I have a small collection of old coins I've been sitting on.  If it becomes more feasible I'll be starting with silver.

Always adding to ammo stocks as I can, and starting to reload.  Small for now, but I'm hoping to expand in that area too.

[XDMHMMWV]

     Thanks for the invite, I'll try to make it.  Open carry, or no?  I sometimes OC around toun to keep awareness up.

Personally, I'd conceal carry.
But, I'm sure some of the more experienced will chime in.

[2big2fail]

Big time.  But please include, as part of your mental preps, the balance of a healthy level of paranoia vs. some rational thought that allows you to avoid making decisions based on fear...  or the fantasy 'survival situation' that some of those in the survivalist community are selling like hotcakes

  [There is much to discuss.  More than is reasonable to try and fit on this page.  I'll try a quick overview.] This really is just an overview.  There is more, much more.  Everything you've mentioned, and a lot of things no one has mentioned, are ALL better off reserved for live group discussions. Mostly due to the depth of these subjects.   

[NGO]

Yo NGO, are you referring to the PDF that 9Shooter linked in the OP, or to something else?  I didn't see a link to any article in your reply.

And thank you everyone for breathing new life into this thread.  I may not have anything to contribute, but I am eager for the information.

Andy

Fixed it....http://fofoa.blogspot.com/2011/04/deflation-or-hyperinflation.html

[NGO]

...
I have calculated out how many pounds of rice and beans a family of 4 would need for 6 months, which would stretch out quite a bit further if it was supplementing other foods purchased, grown, or raised. .....

Good place to start....   http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7498-1-4070-1,00.html


I'm not Mormon...never will be either...but these people have been planning along these lines for a long time...great info on storage.


You have to start making choices in your life NOW. You need to put into practice what you are planning for. This does mean as time goes on   you  will start to change not only how you live, but even where you live. Other wise when the fall occurs, you will not be able to survive thru the fall. Look at what is happening down south...a tornado and hordes of looters are showing up and stealing things from homes destroyed... Not getting national press, but their are stories on the net and forums are discussing the contrast between Japan and America when disaster strikes....I know Boise is different from many places in America...for the better. But you still have a LARGE population of people, here illegally, who may not play nice when things fall apart....Prepare accordingly...



Learn how to cann food, dehydrate and store food.  Mylar bags from the cannery is the cheapest way to store food.

Do you have a wood stove you can cook on? How do you plan to heat your home , when rolling blackout start happening...in the dead of winter??? Water storage & Heating???   Do you have a means to store and cut wood for longterm heating and cooking??

We have burnt 4 cords of wood keep the house warm this year...had a fire going 24/7 since the first of November here. And still used some electrical room heaters during the coldest parts of winter. I plan on storing 24 cords of wood this summer...16 cords in 40 foot logs...8 cords cu and stacked for next year...we have three fireplaces and an adding an old time cooking stove for backup cooking this year.   Can you store enough wood and burn living in the city????Do you have enough room for wood and a garden and greenhouses to ensure you have long enough growing season???

We had a garden in Boise that was 45 x 75  AND a Corn row...3 rows x 100 feet...AND Potatoes and asparagus and strawberries covering another 30 x 15 foot area...IT WASN'T NEAR ENOUGH TO GROW ENOUGH FOOD FOR OUR FAMILY!!!!

This year we will have an area covering 60 x 60 and a small orchard and strawberry patch and berries by the stream...and grain and geed plot for chickens and sheep....I expect to cover at least an acre of ground this year....I know it won't be enough....I also have a 40 x 16 greenhouse to grow things in the winter ( another fireplace to heat it with...more wood)  I plan on adding a couple 40 foot green houses this fall...


Better get started....I can tell you the process to becoming self - sufficient is a lot of work and takes a lot of time.

[parados]

A lot of the responses in this thread are focused on general preparation with some inflation specific advice. I read an e-book a while back that specifically addressed the inflation end of things. Google "Alpha Strategy" or here's the link to the .pdf: http://www.biorationalinstitute.com/zcontent/alpha_strategy.pdf 

If I remember correctly the main focus when inflation is the enemy is to avoid spending more as prices continue to rise. Lock down as much of your daily needs as possible: food and shelter are the two biggies.

The other big thing is to secure a way of earning a living that can adjust for inflation. Most of us are dependent on a salary job (well at least I am) and the raises are few and far between. Learning a skill was something that has been mentioned in this thread and is great advice. Preferably something that is useful in making some side money now and has relevance in an uncertain future.

Another piece of very practical advice I don't think has been mentioned is to buy in bulk the things you use everyday - not just food either. We're talking soap, aluminum foil, sponges, etc. You get a double bonus because you can buy in bulk (discount) and you are paying for tomorrows needs today before prices go up. The only hard part is stocking up on stuff that doesn't go bad - and finding the storage space!

The main take-away from all this advice is to start doing something. Make a plan that moves you in the direction you want to go. Even if you can only take "baby steps" for now, at least is something (and probably ahead of 80% of people out there!).

[NGO]

at this point...there are so many plates spinning and we are just waiting to see which one falls first...and then watch the rest come crashing down.

Stop going out to eat, stop spending money on movies, Cable TV, vacations out of town. Trips to the mall should stop.

Yard sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Zidaho, Cash& Carry, bulk food buying at the cannery. gardening, should be growing.

Durable clothing, durable hiking shoes. watch one movie..."Defiance" and start thinking like them. skills? thinking frontier homesteaders in the mid 1800's you may need those type skills, knowledge and attitude to survive.

Not just guns and such...hell you should have those buried by now...they will come for them soon enough.  they will come for excess food also. have them buried ..

better make up your mind now...do you want to live or are you going to be a slave?

get yourself right with the God of the Bible...that is most important.

it is coming and it WILL come...kind of like knowing a Hurricane, earthquake, Volcano, meteor, will hit , don't know when , you just know it is soon.

right now, since about 2008/09 we are living in a reprieve...and on borrowed time...TPTB are just making the the crash worst when it comes also.

what to do...the plan is always the same...the starting place is always the same...the only thing that changes is you and how committed you are to getting ready.

half hearted efforts will fail, big part of it is your mind set...you could have all the physical items in place and if you aren't ready mentally to do the hard work necessary, you will still die. Plenty of people have started with nothing but a wagon full of stuff and stayed alive thru hardships. mental attitude and willingness to do hard work will go a lot further to see you thru what is coming.
one thing I have met is people who can point to homes that were started by people who came into this country will just a wagon or even a sled in the dead of winter to western Montana and worked hard to make what they have today a reality...one couple I know in their 80's did it...and they say the hardships are coming again soon...

so set aside the  dreams of "easy street", "living the good life", "having fun" , cause the fan blades are turning at full speed and it so many plates full of S*** are spinning on thin little poles...and one of them is soon going to fall...

P.S.   having a dozen cool battle rifles and ten thousand rounds of ammo isn't what will see you thru either.

[GrayWolf]

Mr. Rawles is that you?

Sound advice and yes IT is on the way. Stay safe.

+1.

[goodcomdeadcom]

Greetings, and God bless.

Speaking of hyperinflation... More examples out there than I thought. A picture essay on the subject. Couldn't happen here, of course...

http://www.caseyresearch.com/editorial.php?page=articles/thousand-pictures-worth-one-word&ppref=ZHB207ED0711A